soprano
The highest standard female voice type.
In Depth
The soprano is the highest standard voice type, typically ranging from C4 (middle C) to C6 (two octaves above). Within the soprano category, there are several subtypes: lyric soprano (light, agile), spinto soprano (more powerful, capable of cutting through an orchestra), and dramatic soprano (the heaviest, most powerful).
In opera, the soprano is traditionally the heroine — the romantic lead, the innocent maiden, or the tragic figure. Roles like Mimi in La Bohème, Violetta in La Traviata, and Brünnhilde in Wagner's Ring cycle represent different facets of the soprano voice. In choral music, sopranos carry the highest vocal line, often singing the melody. Maria Callas, Renée Fleming, and Leontyne Price are among the most celebrated sopranos.
The highest note ever performed in an opera house was a C7 — two octaves above high C — by Audrey Luna at the Metropolitan Opera in 2018, during Thomas Adès's The Exterminating Angel.